The expanded Child Tax Credit, a monthly guaranteed income for families, had a transformative effect across the nation. Read stories from parents and caregivers about the impact of this policy using the interactive map below.
As we fight for a basic income for all, elevating the stories of those receiving monthly direct cash is an opportunity to influence community members, elected officials, journalists and thought leaders across our country. These stories can help cut through the noise and get at the heart of the significant positive effects increased income can have on the lives of children and their parents.
Putting a story on this map can open opportunities for influencing the national narrative about basic income. We connect these parents to local or national press who want to amplify their voices, or to their elected officials who are voting on legislation that could extend or expand direct cash policy. Income Movement is dedicated to providing this and other platforms for our community members to help influence the direction and impact of our movement.
Are you press or an elected official who'd like to speak with one of the storytellers on the map? Get in touch here.
Included in President Biden's American Rescue Plan was an expansion of the existing Child Tax Credit. Three important things were part of this expansion: the amount per child was increased, those with limited or no income were now eligible to get the full credit, and half of the tax credit was to be distributed in advance monthly payments. These changes essentially make the Child Tax Credit a guaranteed basic income for families. This is huge for our movement.
For the first time since the implementation of Social Security, millions of people in our country suddenly experienced an increase in their monthly income with direct cash payments. The data coming from the CTC checks is exciting: more than 3 million children were lifted out of poverty by the first checks in July. Child hunger rates are dropping significantly. This data helps us make the case for why we need to expand basic income to include more members of our society. This is the foundation upon which we build the next steps of our movement for a federal basic income.
